The pursuit of peace
by VisionOne
Summary: Lord Voldemort was severely weakened but not defeated at the Battle of Hogwarts. Seven years later the threat of Voldemort is increasing yet again. Follows the muggleborn witch Charlotte Arrington, a member of the Order of the Phoenix and Draco Malfoy, born and bred to be a Death Eater. Rated M for violence.
1. Chapter 1 - Diagon Alley

**Hello everyone!**

 **This is my first ever fic to be published, so be nice. English is not my first language so feel free to correct me. xo**

\- Lord Voldemort was significantly weakened but not defeated at the battle of Hogwarts

\- Follows along the lines of J.K. Rowling's story unless something else is stated (for example. Snape and Dumbledore are dead etc.)

\- James II, Scorpius, Albus Severus etc. does not exist in this universe. No one has had children yet.

\- This fic takes place seven years after Deathly Hallows, which makes the Golden Trio and their classmates 24 years old and our protagonist Charlotte 22.

\- Everything HP belongs to J.K. Rowling.

\- Charlotte is my OC

* * *

The autumn morning was crisp and rather cool, the air was clear which made it easy to breathe and the leaves on the trees had already started to turn a golden colour. The Diagon Alley was busy with its usual activity, full of witches and wizards running errands or doing some shopping. If you were to switch out the exciting shops, like Ollivander's and Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, to muggle ones and maybe make the people populating the street wear suits instead of cloaks the alley would look surprisingly similar to any other street in London.

I took another deep breath of the fresh air, it felt like it gave me energy and sharpened my senses, I always got a bit dizzy for a second when I apparated but the cold, autumn air helped to clear my head. I had always loved Diagon Alley, ever since I made my first visit as an eleven year-old girl that was soon to start at Hogwarts. As a muggleborn, Diagon Alley was my first real encounter with the wizarding world and I could still remember how absolutely breathtaking I found the alley. To be honest, twelve years later the welcoming shops and the grand Gringotts Wizarding Bank still amazed even though I had visited Diagon Alley many times since that first, breathtaking visit. The alley was one of the most magical places in London and it would always hold a special place in my heart, along with Hogwarts.

"You are quiet today, Charlotte." The voice of Neville Longbottom woke me up from my nostalgic reflections.  
"Oh, I'm sorry". I answered with a smile as we opened the door to Ollivanders. "I was just remembering the first time I visited Diagon Alley, just weeks before I started Hogwarts."  
"I remember my first time at Diagon Alley too." Luna Lovegood said in her soft voice. "I was not yet old enough to get my Hogwarts letter, but father took me here because Diagon Alley is a great place to find wrackspurts."

The image of a very young Luna and her father looking for some strange creature no one else had heard of brought a smile to my face. The Lovegoods were strange but very likeable in ther own, quirky way.

There were hundreds and hundreds of wandboxes in the shop, all stacked from floor to ceiling. I had no idea how Mr Ollivander could keep them apart - the boxes had different colours and designs, some were red, others purple and a few were black but none of the boxes had any letters or numbers indicating the length, suppleness, kind of wood or core.

The reason for our visit to Diagon Alley was to get a new wand for Neville, his old one had been broken in half in a brawl with a few Death Eaters just a couple of days ago. It was seven years since the battle of Hogwarts and while Harry potter and the rest of the Order of the Phoenix had succeeded in significantly weaken Lord Voldemort he and his following was not completely defeated. The following years had been reasonably calm but it was no secret that Lord Voldemort was on the rise once again. The terror attacks by the Death Eaters against both muggles and wizards had become more frequent and there was an increasing aversion towards muggleborns. The year after Albus Dumbledore's death everyone with muggle parents were not allowed back to Hogwarts. It was later decided, when Professor McGonagall became headmistress, that everyone were to retake that year at Hogwarts since the education had been lacking under Voldemort's reign. However, because of my experiences the mere thought of hostility towards muggleborns still sent shivers down my spine.

"Mr Longbottom, Miss Lovegood, Miss Arrington. Welcome." Mr Ollivander himself appeared behind a shelf.  
"Good day, Mr Ollivander." Neville replied and placed the splints of wood that once were his wand on the desk. "My wand broke the day before yesterday, is there anything that can be done?"

I could almost hear Neville's heart sink when Ollivander told him that there was nothing he could do to mend his old wand. A wand was like an extension of yourself and I could not blame Neville for mourning his old wand like one would mourn the death of an old friend. It made me squeeze my own wand, still in my right hand, extra tight. It was a beautiful creation of shiny, jet-black ebony wood with a dragon heartstring core, 12 and ¾ inches long. Along the shaft were decorative carvings which gave it a more feminine look. It was a powerful wand, made for magnificent spells and dueling.

Half an hour later we left the wand shop, Neville with a brand new wand in hand. After testing out a number of different wands, he had ended up with one made of cedar wood and unicorn hair. Ollivander had told us that wizards and witches with cedar wands were very loyal people, which surely did apply to Neville.

"Hey, would anyone fancy an ice cream at Florean Fortescue's?" Asked Luna as she kept walking when I stopped outside the quill shop to look at a beautiful, grey speckled quill.  
"Ice cream in November? This strangest thing to come out of your mouth, Luna. And that is saying something." Said Neville.  
"Cold autumn weather is not a reason to not eat ice cream!" I called out to my friends.

I quickly turned around to follow my friends to the ice cream parlor. In my haste to catch up to Luna and Neville I did not pay attention to my surroundings and and suddenly, before I had time to react, I clumsily crashed straight into someone.


	2. Chapter 2 - The crash

Draco shifted in his uncomfortably tight robes. The dark-haired man whose identity he had magically stolen for the day (and who now lied naked, passed out and obliviated at Borgin and Burkes) was much shorter and heavier than himself and he was not used to move around in this kind of body.

Draco and three of his fellow Death Eaters was patrolling the streets of Diagon Alley in their disguises. It was a boring job that quite often fell on Draco or his father, the Dark Lord did not forgive easily and the Malfoy family was still not back in his good graces since the screw-up that was the Battle of Hogwarts. Rimbley, disguised as an elderly witch for the day, made a slight whistle to get Draco's attention and he felt his heart jump in his chest. There, walking down the street in full view were Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood and another young woman. Draco almost smiled, this was not going to be a boring, uneventful patrol, after all.

The group of Death Eaters carefully shadowed the trio from Ollivanders and when the woman stopped to look at a quill in the window of the quill shop Draco went up beside her and pretended to inspect another, rather ugly quill. To his disappointment both Longbottom and Lovegood started walking off, leaving the woman at the display window. Draco almost cursed, he needed them all three together to maximise the force of his attack. In the corner of his eye he saw Rimbley and one other Death Eater casually follow Longbottom and Lovegood. _Good, they are covered._ Draco reached for his wand and was just about to attack the unsuspecting young woman when she called out to her friends and then abruptly turned and crashed straight into his protruding belly.

The impact made both Draco and the woman lose their balance and for a second he felt the urge to scream at her for her clumsiness. She had ruined his planned attack, stupid girl. But while he struggled with suppressing his anger the woman had gotten up on her feet, wildly apologizing.

"Oh, sir! I am so sorry!" She exclaimed.

The woman quickly picked up Dracos issue of The Daily Prophet that had been dropped on the ground in the commotion and handed it to him. "Forgive me, I was not looking where I was going. Are you alright?"

The woman's large eyes were dark and glittering, but for the moment also filled with worry. When Draco just muttered something inaudible for an answer and reached out for the magazine she took his hand. "Are you sure, Sir?"

Draco was suddenly taken aback by the physical contact. He looked up and it was like he saw the woman properly for the first time. She was good looking with a straight nose and high cheekbones, a classical beauty, for sure. Her long, wavy hair had the colour of caramel and fell past her hips, and she was a lot smaller than she had seemed when he stood beside her at the display window, short and petite.

"I am fine." Was all Draco managed to mutter.

His words made her smile and the worry in her eyes was replaced by warmth. It was that kind of beaming smile that could make other people feel warm inside, Dracos dad used to say that his mother had a smile that could melt ice and Draco had never understanded what he meant until now.

"I am so sorry for disturbing you, Sir. I hope the rest of your day is nice."

And in a whirl of plum-colored robes, the woman was gone, already halfway up the street to catch up to Longbottom and Lovegood.


	3. Chapter 3 - An Attack

"Hey, wait up!" I called out for my friends, my breathing a bit strained from the short run.

Luna and Neville turned around but before they could answer me a very familiar beam of purple light shot out towards Neville. It was a curse, a non verbal one, but I could not determine what kind of curse just from the colour of it. Time seemed to slow down as I watched the beam closing in on Neville, I was so surprised that I did not do anything to stop it. Thankfully Luna's head was more in the game and she quickly put up an invisible shield in front of her and Neville, effectively stopping the curse and making it explode in a cloud of purple and silvery sparks.

 _Where did it come from?_

The same moment I turned to see who was responsible for the curse the world went from peaceful, almost sleepy, to a war zone. The sign above my head saying " _Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor_ " exploded, clouding my line of vision with smoke. I heard Luna scream and could barely catch a glimpse of Neville wielding his new wand, sending curses towards our attacker. Or attackers? Because suddenly we were surrounded by four figures in black robes and dark masks - Death Eaters.

Hexes were now flying all over the place; beams of white, purple, red and green. I did my best to hit my targets, but the commotion combined with the immense speed of the fight made it very difficult. I was never a natural at dueling, I was more a charm kind of girl, Charms and Transfiguration during my Hogwarts years. And since I never took part in the Battle of Hogwarts I had never really taken part in a fight like this before, only duelled one on one, and mostly just for practice with other members of The Order.

This fight however, four against three, had the world turning into a lightning inferno and at times I had trouble distinguishing Luna and Neville from the Death Eaters. It did not take long before I found myself stuck between one of the Death Eaters and the brick wall of Florean Fortescue's and in a desperate attempt at avoiding curses I threw myself in a nearby alleyway that provided a little bit of shelter, vainly hoping that the Death Eater did not see me.

Before I made it two meters into the alleyway I felt a curse hit me in the back and my heart sank. The effect of it was instant, paralyzing my legs from the hips down. I fell hard on my face, scraping my face against the hard cobblestones. Something wet trickled from my brow, down my cheek, as I clumsily turned my body half-paralyzed around to look at the person responsible for cursing me.

A tall figure stood, brooding and silent, over me. He had his wand raised and I instinctively reached for my own only to realize that I had dropped it when I fell and that it now lay on the ground, a few meters away. The realization made my pulse raise in an instant, panic started spreading in my chest and I knew that if I would have even the slightest chance at getting out of here in one piece I needed to reach that wand before the Death Eater.

I threw my body - or at least the upper half of it that still were under my control - forward, towards my wand. From the Death Eaters perspective it must have looked pathetic, but it was my only way of moving. I scrambled, digging my nails down in the dirt between the cobblestones in order to get a sturdier grip and then dragging my whole body forward by my arms. Later I would notice several nails bleeding and find scratches all along my underarms but at that moment the only thing that mattered to me was the small stick of black wood. Just as I was close enough to reach out for my beloved wand, my lifeline, the Death Eater placed his foot between me and the wand. He had been in no rush as we both knew that I was utterly defenseless without my wand.

It was almost like the Death Eater enjoyed watching me struggle on the dirty ground. And suddenly I realized that the reason he allowed me to crawl along in the dirt before raising his wand and finishing me off was that he probably enjoyed this. In his mind I was my rightful place, face down in the dirt was were all mudbloods belonged.

But instead of ending my life in a beam of green light like I thought he would the Death Eater grabbed my arm, forcing me to stand up and face him. He was much taller than me but because of the mask I could not make out any distinct facial features. Only his pale, icy grey eyes etched themselves deep within my memory. It was all so strange that I forgot to resist him, first the Death Eater wanted me to be humiliated by making me crawl on the ground and then he suddenly wanted to look deep into my eyes. My mind went on overdrive trying to figure out his motive. The sounds from the fighting between Neville, Luna and the other Death Eaters seemed to have faded away and I was not sure if it was because the fighting had stopped or if my mind just filtered those sounds away.

Then I saw the tip of the Death Eaters wand point to my chest. _This was it._ I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the final blow, I just hoped that the spell that would come out from the tip of his wand would be Avada Kedavra and not Stupefy. I would rather die than be captured by the Death Eaters. But I did not die nor fall unconscious from the spell the Death Eater silently mumbled, instead I felt the lock in my hips and knees disappear.

"What are you doing?" I breathed when the Death Eater put my wand in my hand.  
"Just go." He said and the intense look in his eyes kept me from questioning him further.

The same moment the Death Eater let go of my arm I disapparated from Diagon Alley.


	4. Chapter 4 - Grimmauld Place

My feet had barely touched the steps of the entrance to 12 Grimmauld Place before the front door was thrown open and Ginny Weasley grabbed my arm, pulling me inside. She pointed her wand at my face in a threatening manner.

"What is your full name?" She asked in a tone that would make the Minister of Magic himself quiver.

"Charlotte Emily Arrington." I answered, still out of breath from my apparation.

"What form does your patronus take?"

"It's a bearded vulture." I was used to the security questions, and to Ginny's fiery temper.

Ginny finally relaxed. "Sorry, Char. You know we have to be extra careful after an attack."

"Charlotte! We thought the Death Eaters got you!" Suddenly Neville appeared in the hallway, he is sporting a black eye and his clothes are dusty but other than that he seems fine. "How did you escape?"

"I didn't..." Suddenly I am not only unable to think clearly but forming understandable sentences felt impossible. "I mean... I don't know what happened."

Ginny quickly gestures for Neville to be quiet to not risk waking up the portrait of Mrs. Black. "Let's continue this conversation in the kitchen."

Half an hour later I had managed ta calm down a bit and the members of the Order that was present at Grimmauld Place had collected in the kitchen. Harry and Hermione was there, as well as Hannah Abbott who had a hard time not fussing over Neville. I could not blame her, if it were my boyfriend being attacked on an open street in the middle of the day I would be worried too. A dusty but unharmed Luna was also seated at the table right next to Alicia Spinnet.

I cleared my throat and started to tell the members around the table about the events of the morning. I tried to remember every detail and make my recount as accurate as possible. My story left the members of the Order with puzzled and worried looks on their faces.

"So, do you think it was a trap?" Harry finally asked when I finished.

I swallowed, the truth was that I had asked myself the same question over and over again.

"I don't know." My voice sounded weak as old memories from years ago resurfaced. "It has to be, right?"

I looked up at the other members, searching for answers in their eyes. But of course no one could provide me with an answer.

"There is no way to be sure." Alicia said. "It all sounds so strange…"

There was a silence, no one really knowing what to say.

"I think that we should have me tested for traces of dark magic." I finally said. It was not a suggestion, it was a demand.

Hermione lowered her wand and when she looked at me the concerned crease between her eyebrows deepened.

"I can not detect any traces of dark magic at all. You are not under the Imperius curse and have not been hexed in any other way. The only thing I can detect is a leg-locking curse, but it was revoked, just like you told us."

Harry scratched his head, he was visibly upset and did a bad job hiding it.

"Then why did he let you go?" He asked, hitting the wall in frustration. "It doesn't make any sense!"

"Calm down, Harry." Ginny gently touched his arm. "There are no answers for now. Let's just focus on the fact that both Luna, Neville and Charlotte managed to escape the attack unharmed."

"We all have to be extra careful from now on." Hermione said. "The Death Eaters are getting bolder each day. They are not afraid to attack openly anymore."

It was obvious that the events of the day had brought back memories from seven years ago, during the period before the Battle of Hogwarts when Voldemort had been at his full strength and the Death Eaters had infiltrated both Hogwarts and The ministry of Magic. I felt a shiver down my spine as I remembered how life was like for muggle borns during Voldemorts regin of terror. Many had went into hiding or left the country and I knew Hermione had obliviated her parents, making them move to Australia. I did not have the heart to hex my own family but convinced them that a very long vacation in Madrid had been a great idea, my sister had thankfully been studying abroad during that year.

That night I was visited by an old nightmare I had not been forced to deal with in years. It was always the same; I was in a damp dungeon, my surroundings so dark I could hardly see my own hands. The sickening smell of blood filled my nose and my throat felt raw from screaming. Suddenly the was an echoing sound of footsteps slowly getting closer. I did not know whose footsteps but I knew they meant danger. My heart dropped in my chest and a paralyzing fear took over my body… I woke up drenched in sweat, reaching for my wand in panic.

"Lumos." I whispered and instantly there was a flickering light at the tip of my wand.

The light allowed me to look around in my room at Grimmauld Place. With its heavy curtains and fluffy, carpeted floor it was as far from a dark dungeon as it could. The realization allowed my racing heart to finally calm down but the echoing footsteps would continue to haunt my thoughts for hours. It was impossible to fall asleep, in the past I had taken a sleeping potion but I did not like the side effects of a dull mind and headache it gave me. With a loud sigh i turned on my other side and closed my eyes, there were still four hours until dawn.


End file.
